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Off-Broadway's A Taste of Ireland Company comes to Emory & Henry University (copy)
The McGlothlin Center for the Arts at Emory & Henry
University.
SPorter / Submitted photo
Direct from Off-Broadway and London's West End, the internationally acclaimed A Taste of Ireland Company comes to Emory & Henry University with its flagship production, A Taste of Ireland: The Irish Music & Dance Sensation. For one night on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the McGlothlin Center for the Arts will transform into a little corner of modern Ireland.
Performed by former World Irish dance champions and featuring dancers from the recent West End cast of Éireann, Lord of the Dance, and Riverdance, the production strives to bring the spirit and energy of Ireland to life alongside a pint of Irish wit. Watch performers weave live singing, live tap battles, and the Irish songs from Danny Boy to Tell Me Ma to Wild Rover, into a reimagined contemporary score.
The show is described as a love letter to Ireland: its music, its movement, its stories, its craic.
Experience A Taste of Ireland for one night at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts
Heat sends hundreds to emergency departments over holiday (copy)
Heat took its toll on Virginians over the holiday.
For the Independence Day holiday weekend (July 3-5), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported 538 emergency visits for heat-related illness, peaking at 225 visits on Friday, July 3. In 2025, Virginia reported 102 heat-related illness visits for the same period.
Looking at an extended period, May 1 to July 6, Virginia reported 2,224 emergency visits for heat-related illness in Virginia, which is higher that the (year-to-date) average of 1,179 visits by this time each year.
To date in 2026, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has reported two heat-related fatalities. At this time, no heat-related fatalities have been associated with the July 4th holiday weekend.
While Southwest Virginia’s temperatures are expected to cool off for several days, by the middle of next week, they’re expected to climb again.
To avoid heat-related illness, individuals should:
∙Drink water. When the temperature rises, it is important to drink plenty of water. Drinks that contain caffeine, large amounts of sugar or alcohol should be avoided because they can cause you to become dehydrated.
∙Keep cool indoors. On hot days, prevent illness by keeping cool indoors. If your home is not air conditioned, try to spend the hottest hours of the day in a cool public place such as a library, movie theater, or store.
∙Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun’s energy. It is also a good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella. Always apply sunscreen to exposed skin.
∙Limit physical activity. Avoid excessive physical exertion in hot temperatures, especially in the middle of the day. If you must work outdoors, stay hydrated by drinking 2-4 glasses of water each hour and take frequent breaks in a cool place. Even a few hours in an air-conditioned environment reduces the danger of heat-related illness.
∙Do not keep children or pets in cars. Temperatures inside a car with windows up can reach more 150 degrees quickly, resulting in heat stroke and death.
∙Check on your neighbors. Although anyone can suffer heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. People aged 65 or older are particularly susceptible to heat-related illnesses and complications that can result during periods of high temperatures and humidity.
Public comment period open for proposed fee increases, regulatory changes (copy)
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) 2026 regulatory cycle public comment period opened on July 7. This 30-day public comment period will close at 5 p.m. on Aug. 5. As part of the regulatory process, DWR solicits comments from the public on proposed regulations and provides an analysis of those comments to the Board of Wildlife Resources before any final action is taken.
This year, regulations related to wildlife, fisheries, and boating were proposed to the Board as well as fee increases related to hunting, fishing, trapping, and boat registrations.
Fee Increases
The Department is proposing fee increases to many of the hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, which have not increased since 2012. Additionally, fee increases to motorboat registrations are being proposed for the first time since 2019. Lastly, the Department is proposing to assess a fee of $10 to camp on Department-owned lands where a free permit is currently required.
Wildlife
Proposed changes include incorporating updated lists of federally threatened and endangered species as well as native and naturalized fauna species in Virginia, adjusting the start of bear hound training season, changing the release date for rehabilitated deer fawns via permittees, and adjustments to the elk special conservation license program.
Fisheries
Fishing regulatory proposals include a prohibition on stocking flathead catfish and rock bass, as well as changes to some local trout regulations.
Though not a regulatory action, the Department is also soliciting comments on the Stocked Trout Management Plan, which will guide stocked trout management through 2035. Of note is a proposed change to how information on trout stocking is released, shifting to a system where all stocking plans will be announced in advance. Implementation of potential 25%, 35%, and 50% decreases to trout stocking is also outlined in the plan.
Boating
Proposed boating regulations include clarifying language related to vessel operation and waterway markers, adoption of the federal requirement for children under the age of 13 to wear a life jacket when underway, and adoption of the federal requirement for the use of engine cut-off switches.
For more comprehensive information on all the proposed regulations, fee increases, and Stocked Trout Management Plan, visit the DWR Public Comment page.
While the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources online comment system is the most efficient and effective way to submit your views, individuals may also submit comments by email at regcomments@dwr.virginia.gov or mail them to the department: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Attn: Regulatory Coordinator, P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, Virginia 23228.
Comments must be in writing and accompanied by the name, address, and telephone number of the party offering them. Comments submitted by means other than the online comment system must be received no later than 4 p.m. on Aug. 5.
Police: 14 die in holiday crashes
Preliminary data shows that 15 people lost their lives in 14 crashes over the four-day Independence Day holiday counting period (July 2-July 5). The crashes occurred in the counties of Alleghany, Appomattox, Brunswick, Fauquier, Frederick (2), Nottaway, Pulaski, Roanoke, Shenandoah, Smyth, Spotsylvania, and Suffolk, and the City of Danville. One head-on crash in Smyth County on July 3 killed two people, and on July 5 in Frederick County a motorcyclist a trooper attempted to stop for reckless driving by speed died in a crash on Interstate 81 after refusing to stop for the trooper.
“Fatal crashes are preventable” said Lieutenant Colonel Todd Taylor, Director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Field Operations. “Seatbelts save lives, and preliminary information reveals at least four of those killed in these crashes were not utilizing their seatbelts. Excessive speed was a factor in at least four of the fatal crashes as well. The worst thing to happen to you when you do not follow the rules of the road is not a ticket but loss of your life or someone else’s. Nobody involved in these crashes expected that to happen while the world was celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, but it did. If they would have buckled up, slowed down, avoided distractions, and stayed sober, these tragic outcomes likely could have been prevented.”
During the 2026 Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort) initiative for the Independence Day holiday, troopers cited over 3,153 drivers for speeding and 1,540 for reckless driving. Seventy drivers were arrested for driving under the influence/driving under the influence-drugs. Troopers also wrote 474 seatbelt citations and 133 child restraint citations. Virginia State Police troopers worked 892 crashes.
Operation CARE is a state-sponsored, national program intended to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries due to impaired driving, speeding, and failing to wear a seat belt.
Funds generated from summonses issued by Virginia State Police go directly to court fees and the state’s Literary Fund, which benefits public school construction, technology funding, and teacher retirement.
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